Zune HD gets a price tag

Microsoft has been pretty quiet about the Zune HD since the
official announcement, but as a rumored ship date gets closer, leaks are
beginning to emerge.

A spy sent Gizmodo a look at Best Buy’s inventory system,
with two versions of the media player priced. The 16GB model will reportedly go
for $220, and the 32GB model will be $290.

And the expected September 8 launch date looks more and more
accurate, as the Best Buy system lists it as well.

[Update: Actually, it now looks like the launch date is Sept. 15. Gizmodo now has shots of an in-store display showing that date – and Buy.com briefly had a Zune HD countdown that ended on that date. (The countdown has since been removed.)]

That puts the Zune well below the iPod Touch retail price,
but that alone may not be enough to entice customers. Apple has plenty of time
to adjust prices if it wants – and is likely comfortable enough in its
leadership spot to leave things as they are.

After all, the Palm Pre had plenty of online buzz when it
launched – and was often heralded as a potential iPhone killer – but so far has
failed to put any sort of dent in the iPhone’s marketshare.